Grab launched a trial food delivery service through its GrabFood platform in selected areas of Hanoi on September 5 after a four-month trial in Ho Chi Minh City.

The service will initially be piloted in four districts: Hoan Kiem, Dong Da, Cau Giay, and Hai Ba Trung. GrabFood is Grab’s next key development and aims at becoming the first super-app for daily life in Vietnam in particular and Southeast Asia in general through an open platform strategy, bringing to local people ride-hailing services, food delivery, freight forwarding, non-cash payments, and other financial services, all on a Grab app.

GrabFood was implemented in Ho Chi Minh City in May and after nearly four months has proven to be a revenue driver for its partners by bringing their restaurants online, thereby reaching more customers and receiving more orders. Driver partners can increase their income through the food service, in addition to regular transport services. Customers can order their favorite food and enjoy the convenience of having it delivered quickly.

Starting out four years ago, the Grab app has provided an ecosystem through technological innovation that meets the most important needs of everyday life and includes GrabTaxi, GrabCar, GrabBike, GrabExpress, and now GrabFood, through a network of more than 135,000 driver partners around the country.

Grab recently unveiled its smart city vision to empower a future of seamless mobility, on-demand food delivery, logistics, cashless payments, and financial services for the people of Southeast Asia - all within one mobile app.

“GrabFood is the next major step in our move to meet the essential daily needs of consumers,” Mr. Jerry Lim, Country Head of Grab Vietnam, said when launching GrabFood in Ho Chi Minh City. “Food delivery is a natural extension of our transport offerings. Each day, millions of people in Southeast Asia rely on ride-hailing services to take them from place to place, while our food delivery services save them the hassle of travelling around congested cities. With our acquisition of UberEats’ operations and the expansion of GrabFood across the region, we are working with local merchants and driver partners to deliver the best from Vietnam’s kitchens to the doorsteps of millions.”

The ride-hailing giant also acquired a stake in Vietnamese mobile payment startup Moca, from Access Venture Capital, in a move that is seen to further strengthen the former’s grip in the digital payments sector in the region, DealstreetAsia reported on September 5.